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Jake King avoids punishment from Richmond Tigers after failing to sever ties with ex-Bandidos boss

Updated
Mon Dec 16 12:17:32 EST 2013

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In hot water ... Jake King.

Getty Images: Chris Hyde, file photo

Richmond AFL player Jake King will not be punished by Richmond after defying club orders to end his association with former Bandidos boss Toby Mitchell.

The Tigers could have hit the 29-year-old King with fines or suspensions, only months after ordering him to cut ties with Mitchell.

But, after The Herald Sun on Monday ran a front-page photo of the pair at the weekend watching the Legends Football League (formerly Lingerie Football League), the Tigers revealed he would avoid punishment.

"I don't think we're in a position to do that. We can provide him with advice and guidance and encourage our players to make their own decisions," club president Brendon Gale told SEN radio.

"We'll have a chat at some stage today, there's no doubt about that.

"We're not in a position to be providing rules or formal directions as to who Jake can or cannot mix with."

Following the Tigers' round-20 win over Brisbane at the MCG, Mitchell had been invited into the Richmond locker room by King, prompting the club to tell the player his association with the former bikie enforcer was unacceptable.

Richmond went on to warn the whole playing list not to associate with criminals in any way.

"I'm a little disappointed with Jake, he would know that whenever he's in these situations there's always a risk," Gale said.

"The media have a salacious appetite for this sort of stuff and it always presents a risk. Jake would know that and we're disappointed with that.

"I guess he understands that as a Richmond footballer that he is a public figure and there is a heightened state of alert, unfortunately these things have implications.

"We simply say that in public situations, our players like all players have got to be very mindful of associating with people with a criminal past," he said.

Gale said the pair had not planned to meet up and had simply "bumped into" each other.

The Australian Crime Commission had warned athletes who associated with criminals that they put themselves in danger of corruption.